Dick Spring

Richard "Dick" Spring (29 August 1950-) was Leader of the Irish Labor Party from 1 November 1982 to 13 November 1997, succeeding Michael O'Leary and preceding Rory Quinn.

Biography
Dick Spring was born in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland in 1950, and he studied in Dublin and became a lawyer. He was soon active in the Irish Labor Party, whose leader he became in 1982. A member of the Dail Eireann he became Minister for the Environment in 1982. In 1983, he became Deputy Prime Minister to Charles Haughey, and Minister for Energy. He led the party in opposition from 1987, and on 12 January 1993 formed another government with Fianna Fail. As Minister for Foreign Affairs, he became a principal motor in the peace initiative for Northern Ireland which led to the Downing Street Declaration. His position was enhanced in 1994, when the coalition fell apart owing to Albert Reynolds' appointment of a controversial President of the Supreme Court. In the ensuing elections of 25 November 1994, Labor managed to more than double its strength in the Dail Eireann from fifteen seats to thirty-three. In the new coalition with Fine Gael under John Bruton, he provided the essential experience and continuity on the Irish side in the Northern Ireland peace process. However, he failed to press the British government under John Major for more decisive action, and the process ground to a halt on 2 February 1996 when the IRA resumed its violent campaign. In 1997, his party returned to opposition, and he resigned as party leader that same year. He lost his seat at the 2002 general election, and then retired from politics.